Figure 1.--These children wear their white Pioneer uniform shirts. Note the epauletes and flap pockets as well as the emblem on the left sleeve.

Boys and girls wore white shirts as their pioneer uniform shirt. The style was exactly the same for both boys and girls. They were normally white shirts with epaulets and flap pockets, although HBC has seen photographs of plain white shirts. The Pioneers wore both long and short sleeved shirts, depending on the season. The long sleeve shirts seem mote common, presumably there is so much cold weather in Russia's northern climate. Often they were worn without patches are insignia, bit they should have had at least a Pionerer patch on the left sleeve, making them look quite different than most Scout shirts. Boys wearing the formal uniform for ceremonial occasions, however, often had to have the insignia and often a few more patches. Pioneers did not, however, have merit badges and wear unit insignia or flag patches on yjeir shirts as Scouts commonly do.

Color

Boys and girls wore white shirts as their pioneer uniform shirt.

Style

The style was exactly the same for both boys and girls. They were normally white shirts with epaulets and flap pockets, although HBC has seen photographs of plain white shirts. The Pioneers wore both long and short sleeved shirts, depending on the season. The long sleeve shirts seem mote common, presumably there is so much cold weather in Russia's northern climate.

Epauletes

The Pioneer shirts had shoulder pieces or epauletes. There was no pratical purpose for epauletes. It was a military style and was added to the shirt for decoration.

Buttons

The uniform shirts first produced for the new 1968-69 uniform has shiny metallic buttons (pugovichki). The same shiny buttons were also used for a while on Pioneer uniform short pants. Subsequently, they were replzaced by simple dark buttons. I'm not sure why.

Badges

Rank Insignia

On the sleeve above the pioneer emblem there was a white strip- cross connection with a width of about 1 cm. to this strip- cross connection they were fastened the stars of pioneer commanders. One star meant a sectional commander. Two stars meant the chairman of the council of force (commander of force). Three stars meant ????.

Chronology

These shirts appeared only at the end of the 1960s. Thus you only begin seeing the Pioneers wearing them in the early 1970s. They were very commonly worn in the 1970s and 80s.

Ordinary White Shirts

Many parents instead of purchasing the official Pioneer shirt would buy ordinary white shirts. This was largely a matter of economy. An ordinary white shirt could be worn for Pioneers and many other functions as well. A Pioneer shirt with the badge could only be worn for Pioneers. Many parents did buy the official shirt, but many others did not. This is why you see many Pioneers without the badge on their sleeve.